


Rest and Resist

by Collectible



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V
Genre: Gen, low-key duskshipping if you want, part 2 of what could have happened since the writers won't show us, this doesn't need a T rating but I'll be safe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-02
Updated: 2015-12-02
Packaged: 2018-05-04 11:39:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5332793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Collectible/pseuds/Collectible
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Having a broken arm is an irritating experience, and it doesn't get any better for Dennis.</p><p>Someone shouldn't allow Yuuri access to infirmary patients.</p><p>(Successor to Information Broker)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rest and Resist

**Author's Note:**

> Unbeta'ed, but edited to the best of my ability.
> 
> Never had a broken appendage so expect imperfections, pal.

Dennis breathed in cold, clinical detachment and the strained smell of hand sanitizer.

Groaning, he flopped down on the stiff mattress and winced at the spasming of his left arm. Pain shot through it at intervals, sparking an electric throb that flared a blinding white behind his eyelids. He dropped his head on his single lumpy pillow and gritted his teeth as the ache receded into a dull pulse, leaving him limp and breathless in a flimsy grey infirmary robe.

After his mission retelling to the Professor, the nurses had rushed him to the infirmary and checked his body. “Broken arm,” they had declared, before fixing his entire arm in a cast, draping a robe over him, and shoving him into a private room. Now he lay somewhat comfortably on his bed with its unclear curtains pulled closed, awaiting… something.

Dennis glanced at the table beside his bed. An empty cup of water and an unfilled pill case covered its surface. No painkillers meant he was stuck with this torture until the nurses returned, which was just great.

Taking a deep breath, he inhaled the sickening scent of sanitizer, and frowned.

Having a broken arm sucked.

Falling off a motorcycle sucked.

Basically, Kurosaki Shun sucked. But that was obvious after minutes of knowing the guy.

How could a nice, sweet girl like Ruri have a sibling so boring and hot-blooded? All “You’ll pay!” this and “I’ll destroy Academia!” that. Didn’t he see how impossible it was to win against a whole army of Fusion soldiers? Did he _want_ to die?

Of course, Kurosaki had won against countless Academia duelists, even _him_ , but--well--

Dennis pushed that particular thought away.

He'd failed his mission because of Kurosaki’s irritating distrust issues. He’d lost a ton of reputation due to the Xyz scum’s temper tantrum. All his work flushed down the drain after one duel. Just--POOF! and everyone in the Syncro Dimension knew his true allegiance.

Proving himself powerful enough to earn a second chance wouldn’t cut it. If Shiunin was right, then Security had him on their wanted list. The Professor would never allow him to reenter the the Syncro dimension when an entire police force wanted him hostage. Sending some lesser duelist in his place to play it safe and capture the girls was a better plan. Dennis doubted that plan’s effectiveness, though; if the Lancers were aware of two spies searching for Yuzu and Serena, would they trust anyone? They couldn’t be that foolish, could they?

A clear image of Yuuya flashed in his mind.

Huh.

Outside of his solitary bed-island, the door clicked open.

Mindful of his injury, Dennis turned to the entrance and squinted at the shadow behind the curtains. Finally, he wouldn't have to deal with the pain for much longer. "Oh, nurse?" he started. "My pills are gone. Could you go grab me some more?"

The nurse didn't reply.

"Nurse...?"

The shadow marched up to his bed and flung the curtains open, blinding Dennis with artificial lighting. Upon rubbing the painful white black spots from his eyes, he scowled at the nurse and their unprofessional attitude.

"Look, _nurse_ ," he growled. "Just because you had a bad day doesn't mean--"

Dennis cut himself off. He gave his visitor a look-over and decided he shouldn't continue his complaint, actually. His guest wasn't as understanding as other people.

Yuuri stared down at him, face expressionless save for the slim smile twisting his mouth.

He found himself returning the smile, though with a much larger and genuine grin. "Are you my new nurse, Yuuri?"

"Nurse?" he repeated slowly, feeling the word. Yuuri pulled the curtains down to the edge of his bed, pouring the rest of the light into his island. "I'm afraid that won't work out well for you, Dennis."

“I’m sure you’d be fantastic!” Shifting his weight to his right side, Dennis shimmied up the wall to sit straight. His stiff arm twinged in warning, but he disregarded it. “A different wardrobe to start it off; the nurses should have remaining outfits somewhere. A new attitude…”

“So.” Yuuri settled on the bed and turned to face him. “The Professor says you’ve been found out during your mission.”

Dennis pouted. Did everyone know? Jeez.

His partner’s unmoving stare bored into him. “How could Academia’s finest sleeper agent fail his mission?”

He shrugged, holding Yuuri’s gaze. “How could Academia’s finest soldier lose track of his prey?” The laugh that bubbled from his chest felt like a death sentence, but Dennis wasn’t known for his cautiousness. “Shouldn’t you focus on your own failure before insulting another’s? That’s pretty hypocritical.”

Silence fell immediately after his risky counterpoint. Yuuri’s intense attention never faltered, yet neither did Dennis’ innocent smile. An itch started behind his eyes and his mouth twitched in place as several seconds passed and no one backed down. Finally, though, a minute into their stare-off, Yuuri blinked and began to speak.

“I’m heading out with the Obelisk force to the Syncro Dimension,” Yuuri announced, as if the tense atmosphere had completely faded. “What can you tell me about it, Dennis?”

His mouth pulled back into a frown as he formed his answer, eyeing Yuuri with suspicion. “Why don’t you check my memory? The higher-ups should have filtered it and found the important fragments for the Professor to see. He won’t stop you from watching, you know.”

“Answer the question,” was his brisk, cool response. Settled on his knees, Yuuri’s hands almost curled into a fist.

A red alert flashed through his mind like a booming fire alarm, warning him how close he was to reaching the end of Yuuri’s puddle of patience. Dennis rolled his eyes, but he listened to the order and followed through, starting from the moment the Lancers transported into the Syncro Dimension to locate powerful new comrades.

Yuuri observed him as he recounted his mission. To make the most out of the pathetic amount of time spent with the Lancers, Dennis threw in theatrical voices for his former comrades, especially the growly Kurosaki Shun. The riveting tale of their prison break shook his listener enough for him to raise an eyebrow, and he couldn’t help but beam until he reached his ultimate reveal at the hands of the formidable Xyz user.

“And so,” he said, coming to a close and wishing he had a drink for his throat, “without the action cards to ward off the Raid Raptor’s attack, the damage hit me full frontal. My bike swerved on the battered and jagged lane as I fought to drive straight. Unfortunately, Kurosaki was dead set on flinging me to my death--or something like that--and one precise strike to the back of my tire sent me flying into the air and onto the ground. Which is how this happened.” He gestured at the cast-covered arm resting beside him. “That’s pretty much it, Yuuri. Shiunin rescued me later on, then I got sent back here. Not much different from what the higher-ups could have showed you.”

“Of course they’re similar. That isn’t why I wanted I wanted to hear your telling of the story.” The devious glint in his eyes did not bode well for anyone. It tended to end in a flash of blinding light and the creation of a new card. Not an event fit for an infirmary, and especially not a finale fit for Dennis.

A slimy maliciousness poured from his mission partner’s smirk. “It seems like you’ve had a lot of fun with those Lancers.”

“Fun?” Dennis chuckled as ice pricked his heart like a needle, freezing his blood with each pump. “It was funny that they trusted me, but--”

Yuuri pointedly cut him off. “Your memories showed you revealing your involvement in the war. How you stopped your little charade with that girl and greenlit the invasion.” His head tilted in mock curiosity. “But you skipped it. Why?”

“We were both there, you know? Why repeat what you lived through?”

Yuuri leaned further in until he was kneeling on the bed, towering above him and forcing his hair to stand on end. “And you’re sure it wasn’t due to something else?” As he spoke, his hand slowly creeped up Dennis’ arm, winding through the air like a careful snake.

His face grew tight as he scowled; at his predicament, at the inevitability of Yuuri’s action. Switching between the hand and the taunting smirk, Dennis grumbled, “It’s not as deep as you think it is.”

Yuuri’s hand clamped down on his bicep and squeezed.

A breathless wheeze forced itself from his lungs as a wave of electricity stabbed his chest. His nerves went wild, lighting up at the unsolicited touch and sparking off the longer Yuuri held on. Black stars dotted his blurry vision. His throat was constricting…

Yuuri dodged the punch he threw towards his smiling face. His mouth moved then, possibly a response to his attack, but the white fuzz in Dennis’ ears crackled like a roaring flame and pushed his focus aside.

He gasped out a sound even he couldn't understand. But the control over his body was returning to him, albeit agonizingly slowly. His sight cleared enough for him to direct a weak sneer to his partner.

“Y-you…” He sucked in a pitiful amount of air that scorched his lungs. “You… should quit developing unlikely theories, Yuuri.” His unharmed hand found purchase on the arm that was releasing pressure on his bicep. His short nails dug into the flesh. Unable to stop shaking from the residual shock flooding his veins, Dennis bared his teeth in an appalling example of a grin. “No one believes conspiracy theorists. You’ll end up a laughing stock, and that wouldn’t be fun, would it?”

Seizing Yuuri’s hand, Dennis yanked it off his body as if it was a particularly uncooperative leech.

“I’m tired,” he huffed, dumping the limp arm in the air. “Could you tell the nurses to deliver some painkillers while I’m asleep? Thanks.”

Yuuri looked bored; probably because he’d had his fill of sadism for the next few hours. Shrugging a shoulder, he slid from the bed and placed a hand on his hip. “I’ll alert them to it. It’s up to them to follow through.”

“As expected.” His fingers itched to scratch the smoldering imprint Yuuri’s forceful touch had left on his skin. “The Obelisk Force should be almost ready to invade the Syncro Dimension. You should hurry--the Professor doesn't want his plan on hold, right?” Dennis sent him a cheerful wink. It felt as extra as his entertainer persona, but it did the trick: Yuuri’s expression fell blank as he turned toward the doorway.

“The Obelisk Force can wait.” His eyes narrowed dangerously, like he’d caught sight of prey in the empty room and was concocting plans on capturing it. “But kick starting my game of tag with that girl is worth leaving early. She won't get away a second time.”

“Oh!” Dennis perked up. “Maybe you'll even see Yuuya!”

Yuuri hummed in a way that told Dennis he had stopped paying attention. And he wondered why he lost track of names…

“I won’t need to stay after my mission,” his partner said at last, speaking aloud to himself. “There’s no fun in playing in that dead end dimension when it’s destroying itself from the inside out. And there’s no one special…” Trailing off, Yuuri shot him a curious glance. “Did you see a man in charge of Syncro’s Security?”

“Uh… Did he have a creepy look and a beak for a nose?”

“That’s him.” For once, a smile befitting a normal, cheerful person flitted across his face. Did Yuuri know that weird guy? “Seems I’ll be there longer than I thought. Don’t break your other arm while I’m gone.”

He rolled his eyes, refusing to pout. “I’m _not_.”

Yuuri scrutinized him a final time before heading to the entrance. He waved backward as he left, and Dennis repeated the goodbye gesture--not that Yuuri saw it. The door clicked shut, leaving him to a dreadfully silent atmosphere and a numb appendage.

His unharmed arm sought out the spot Yuuri had captured, and he clawed at the layer of malevolence embedded in his skin. Scratching at the taint didn’t cause it to fade, but it dimmed as he scraped his dull nails over the area until red, thin lines appeared as blood pooled to the surface. A heavy sigh escaped him in relief. Feeling at peace in his body, Dennis flopped down on his pillow and stared at the smooth ceiling, rubbing idly at the new marks to lessen the pain.

So, Yuuri suspected something. Nothing new there. No one could have secrets if Yuuri showed any interest in you outside of dueling. He was everywhere, with little to no limits. Being the Professor’s number one had its perks.

Yuuri’s interest in his time inside the Xyz Dimension was surprising. Unprovoked, too. His theory was baseless and contained no justifiable evidence to support his thought. All in all, Dennis could swear he brought it up just for the chance to kick him while he was already down, but…

He’d never felt as happy as he did while he was performing. The encouraging applause, the attentive eyes and smiles, the heartfelt love spreading from the crowds he drew in.

Maybe he missed the freedom and affection. Maybe he wanted to play as an entertainer a bit longer before he had to start the hunting game. Maybe he wanted to have some more fun before everything went to hell and snatched away his only chance to feel-- _happy_.

Close to outright groaning as the revelation washed over him, Dennis shut his eyes and threw his right arm up to cover them.

Well, damn.

Maybe Yuuri was on to something.

**Author's Note:**

> (very low possibility of a) Dennis redemption arc ayoooo


End file.
